Description

Low traverse in the cave of Beached Whale on the Eliminator Boulder. Very fun problem. Tricky toe jam in the crack. It starts on a low undercling to the right of beached whale, and tops out on the Beached Whale slopers. Very fun problem!!!

Protection

Several pads needed, fairly good landing, except right off the start where a rock stick out of the ground.

It actually deserves four stars. This is a killer, complex and tricky problem that every aspiring V10 boulderer should try. It got harder in 1988 when some low-life was trundling rocks off the cliff and bounced one into the crux hold, shaving off a crucial few millimeters. It's been 12 years since I've done it but back then, pad wouldn't have worked because they would have gotten in the way of the swing. You need a good spotter who knows when you're going to cut loose for the swing.

Hey AC, One of the best things about this problem was figuring out the sequence. As far as i know it's been done 2 different ways. I'll give the starting beta here:Finger Jam left tips in bottom of crack. Undercling with right hand. Right foot off the ground. Left toe in crack over your head. Get the left toe in good, then match your left hand to the undercling. Then it gets hard...

This is just an awesome route. I think that one thing that makes it so much fun is how frustrating it is when you're working it. It's almost impossible to "cheat" and start on the crux even though it never really gets but a few feet off the ground. So, if you are projecting this one, and V9 is a new grade for you, don't give up, you are probably closer than you think. Just explore all of the possible holds, not just the obvious ones. Also, ending on Beached Whale is much cooler than going around the arete.